improve the conditions in which the local value chains exist. In this webinar we will look at one key piece of context: the rules and laws that value chains must follow.

We call this role of value chain coordination "policy thought leadership."

This webinar will look at big-P Policy (laws) and little-p policy (inter-business operating principles). Value chains can receive crucial support from intelligent and strategic policies of both kinds, and we will see how external value chain coordination can help move all parties to enacting these beneficial laws and rules.

A value chain is a set of linked businesses who work together to serve their customers' needs while also addressing larger societal goals. In this, the third webinar of our Value Chain Skills series, we look at how a third party goes about the work of linking the elements of the chain.

We call this role "Market Matchmaking."

Presenters from very different contexts – one nonprofit, one for profit – will illuminate the art of successful matchmaking. They will speak on how they identify what is likely to be a good match, and how to go about moving parties to win-win deals. From how frequently they feel they need to keep up relationships, to how they keep track of it all, these presenters will roll back the curtain so that you may improve your own matchmaking success.

This webinar is brought to you through a collaboration with Greenbelt Fund.

Value Chain Coordination, the "soft infrastructure" that supports the success of Good Food enterprises, often requires building the necessary relationships across the food value chain by engaging key stakeholders, maintaining communication channels, and fostering a trusting environment. Examples include convening stakeholder meetings, forming working groups, and implementing other forms of longer-term engagement.

We call this role "Convening."

Setting conditions right for an effective convening, with measurable impacts, is critical. This webinar will detail considerations for two types of convening: one where seller and buyer are brought together in a celebratory yet business-focused way; the other where many actors within a more complex value chain are encouraged to take risks to build significant inter-business dependencies to bring about a new suite of products, which can lead to great rewards to all parties.

We have learned from the Michigan State / Wallace Center 2017 National Food Hub Survey that food hubs are maturing as businesses. This Farm Credit East / Wallace Center 2018 Food Hub Benchmark Study dives deep into the business fundamentals that illuminate just how this development is progressing.

This webinar highlights how successful food hubs across the nation have achieved their mission and goals through financial and business metrics.

Understanding this study will benefit all manner of people interested in regional food systems. For instance, food hub operators will be able to identify performance standards and improvement strategies. Farmers who attend the webinar will gain a better understanding of their ability to access new markets through food hubs, and researchers and local food advocacy organizations will benefit from this webinar’s business-based analysis of food hub functions and operational issues. Private lenders and public sector funders will gain insight on strategic investment strategies for food hubs that will lead to positive economic and sustainable outcomes.